Grilling should not be relegated to only meat, poultry and fish! It is so quick and easy to prepare your fresh produce on the grill and the results are amazing. You get a wonderful smokey aroma and a delicious char flavor when you grill your fruits and vegetables. Plus it is super quick and easy to do!
Especially if you have a gas grill, where there is no extra time needed to ready charcoals – just turn it on and heat it up! The weather is nice so get yourself outside and start grilling!
The key to grilling vegetables is to oil them lightly and season with salt and pepper. Fruits just need a little oil. Cook them on a hot grill not letting them ignite with flames and refrain from moving them too quickly. To get great grill marks you need to let them sit until they are nicely charred and easy to turn. The best way to do this is to ensure your grill is hot enough and that both your vegetables and grill rack has been oiled.
I like to separate my vegetables/fruits and rather than cooking them all together so that I can monitor the cooking time for each as they may vary. For instance summer squash will cook much faster than carrots so if you separate them on the grill, you can remove each item as it is done. That way you won’t suffer from some items being overcooked or others not being done.
For softer vegetables such as summer squash, cook with the top open so they don’t get too soft, but for heartier vegetables such as carrots or potatoes, cook with the top closed so they will bake while grilling. Depending on the type of vegetable, you can also par cook them ahead to ensure they are cooked through and nicely charred without burning on your grill. Make sure your vegetable pieces are similar in size so they will all cook at the same time.
I use a variety of different grill racks and baskets for smaller items that might fall through the grates. I have several that are flat and used together will cover the surface of my grill so that I don’t have to worry about accidentally losing some when I am turning or flipping the vegetables over. I spray them with oil so that the vegetables won’t stick to them as I would the grill rack if I were cooking directly on it.
So much flavor is gained from grilling that you can minimize your meal preparation. Grilled fruits and vegetables are delicious eaten as is, when taken off the barbecue. Added to recipes, they will add a heavenly boost to whatever you are creating. It’s magical!
Just add some grilled protein, a little garnish like balsamic glaze, a sprinkle of cheese & salad dressing and you have a wonderful deconstructed salad!